RESIDENTS are to have a hands-on involvement in the regeneration of their town.

Spennymoor Town Forum has backed the setting up of three branch groups to oversee the transformation of the town centre, in particular, to deal with the worrying number of empty shops.

Sedgefield Borough Council has appointed a town centre manager, and the owners of the precinct are in talks with two large chain stores, to try to attract them to the town.

The public can play a part by joining the town centre forum sub-committees, which will be responsible for improving the marketing of Spennymoor and its appearance, and encouraging feedback from those using the shopping centre.

Sedgefield Borough Council's director of planning and technical services, John Litherland, said: "Quite a lot of people attend forum meetings anyway, so this is a chance to get them and other people involved.

"One of the groups will be a user group, made up of people who use the town centre for anything from shopping and going to the dentist, to using the leisure centre."

Chairman of the forum, John Welsh, said: "We're all working as a team. It's the public, retailers, publicans, everyone."